The Steeple Times is an online magazine with a following of upto 880,000 unique views per day on our best day yet.

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Combining a mix of society's last word and both wit and wisdom, The Steeple Times covers food, drink and fine dining as well as luxury, travel, the arts, individuals of influence and current affairs in the United Kingdom, America and elsewhere. We are best described as being akin to "a cross between The Huffington Post and Private Eye".

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Tag: Prison

One-off 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI cabriolet to be auctioned; originally commissioned by a British playboy turned jailbird with connections to Princess Margaret but only actually completed in 1993 A 1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI all-weather cabriolet with bodywork by the renowned Italian automotive stylist Frua is to be auctioned this month. Offered with an … Continue reading “A Con and A Cabriolet”

Thrice bankrupt bigot Viscount St Davids banged to rights and set to be jailed Thursday; he blames Gina Miller as “untruthful” and Matthew Steeples as “an eavesdropper” and accepts utterly no blame for what he did On Thursday, if he doesn’t turn up at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on time, justice will come knock, knock, … Continue reading “Viscount Porridge”

Could Donald Trump’s ‘Fall of Rome-style’ downfall be triggered by the actions of his very own family? Donald Trump came to power promising to ‘Drain the Swamp’ of Washington. Thus far he’s made it bigger and though he might think appointing as many cronies and family members as possible to senior positions will protect … Continue reading “The Downfall of The Donald”

Jailed paedophile Rolf Harris pens a disgusting song titled ‘Gutter Girls’ According to The Sun, jailed paedophile Rolf Harris hasn’t learnt his lesson and has written yet another song mocking his victims. Titled Gutter Girls, the repugnant, disgraced entertainer is said to see it “as a ‘classic’ Rolf song, with a didgeridoo and … Continue reading “A gutter paedo”

Devoted to her dogs and the widow of a tycoon named Frank V. Brach (1890 – 1970), Helen Brach inherited a significant portion of a $23 million estate (the equivalent of $135 million or £87.8 million today) in 1971.

Former attorney and Mayor of Biloxi, Mississippi from 1989 to 1993, Pete Halat was acquitted of but still is often connected to the 1987 murders of his business partner Judge Vincent Sherry and his wife.

As a Rolf Harris supporter blames everyone but the paedophile himself for the publication of his vile views on his victims, it is time that Change.org closed down the inappropriate petition that seeks to free him

As Max Clifford launches an appeal against his eight-year prison sentence, all it shows is how truly unappealing he still is Despite being convicted on eight counts of indecent assault between 1977 and 1984, sexual offender Max Clifford has decided to launch an appeal against his eight-year prison sentence. In doing so, all Clifford … Continue reading “Unappealing Clifford”

The last letter from journalist James Foley Executed hostage James Foley devised a way of communicating with his family during his captivity. He dictated a letter to a fellow hostage about to be released. On Sunday, his family released the text of it on the Facebook page “Find James Foley”.

A drill used in the Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery on display at Christie’s is a reminder of the world’s biggest bank heist Former banker David Gainsborough Roberts has amassed an extraordinary collection of items owned by famous and infamous individuals. A selection of them are currently on display at Christie’s in South Kensington and … Continue reading “Drilling a bank robbery”

Rolf Harris adjusts to life in the clink It’s easy but perhaps inappropriate to make light of Rolf Harris’ hits – such as Jake the Peg (and his extra third leg) and Two Little Boys – in light of this veteran entertainer’s conviction on twelve counts of sexual offences but it’s not at all … Continue reading “Revolting Rolf”

Former residence of Leona Helmsley comes to the market Leona Helmsley didn’t do “little”. She lived by the belief that “only the little people pay taxes” and housed herself in a vast mansion on a 40-acre plot in Connecticut. Helmsley died at the house in 2007 and it is now once again for sale

Child killer Mick Philpott may get his just deserts for bragging about receiving free false teeth on the NHS Mick Philpott is a man who should only be remembered as a monster who burnt 6 of his 17 children to death in a house fire. Instead, now this evil creature is back in the … Continue reading “Wally of the Week: Mick Philpott”

An insight into the new life of Max Clifford In a press release sent to The Steeple Times, the author Ian Hitchings has revealed details about disgraced publicist Max Clifford’s new life in Wandsworth Prison.

As Max Clifford heads to jail for 8 years, it is time to reveal the link between him and other convicted sex offenders In 1997, Max Clifford stated: “[Owen] Oyston is many things, including very arrogant, but he is not a rapist” after being hired to represent the businessman as he attempted and failed … Continue reading “The Maximum ring”

There’s nothing worse than being Max Clifford ‘Grubby publicist’ has been the description that has been attached to Max Clifford for many years but with his conviction yesterday on eight counts of indecent assault, that can now be replaced by ‘sexual abuser’, ‘liar’ and most tellingly ‘the man with the small penis’.

An octogenarian career criminal who refuses to change her ways. Thompson has a 20 page rap sheet dating back and has been imprisoned at least ten times in Los Angeles and Orange County. She’s variously been arrested for disturbing the peace, forgery, grand theft and burglary and of her Paulette Paccione, the Los Angeles County … Continue reading “Doris Thompson”

Should prisoners like Giovanni Di Stefano be allowed access to social media? Convicted conman Giovanni Di Stefano is in jail for 14 years for committing a £3 million fraud yet today we purportedly received a tweet from him.

Lord Brocket scores a success with his sausages Lord Brocket is a man best known for having buried his Ferraris in his garden. They were far from bangers but the insurance fraud that followed resulted in him being jailed for fraud for five years. Now, Lord Brocket is involved with another kind of banger: … Continue reading “Brocket’s bangers”

Anthony Mamo shares his views on the release of Mikhail Khodorkovsky Yesterday, by virtue of executive order #922 signed by the President of Russia himself, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was freed from prison and is now in Germany visiting his seriously ill mother.

Ex-jailbird Vicky Pryce employs a former prisoner as her PA Vicky Pryce plainly has no desire to fade from the limelight. Having served two months of an eight month sentence herself, the shameless ex-wife of Chris Huhne has employed a female former prisoner as her personal assistant.

Convicted of the 1985 murders of his millionaire adopted parents, his sister and her children at White House Farm at Tolleshunt D’Arcy in Essex, Bamber has always maintained his paranoid schizophrenic sister carried out the slayings before turning the gun on herself. Police incompetence and discrepancies with the evidence should be enough to at least … Continue reading “Jeremy Bamber”

Further doubts raised about the conviction of Jeremy Bamber Jeremy Bamber’s conviction for the 1985 murders of his adopted parents, his sister and her children at White House Farm, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex is again in question. New evidence has surfaced in a book by Andrew Hunter, a former Conservative MP, that, if proven, would … Continue reading “Could Bamber be innocent?”

This sometime catwalk model from Brighton was branded “one of Britain’s worst louts” in 2008 but by 2010 had “turned his life around” according to the Daily Mail. After briefly appearing in the BBC’s Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne and being signed with Elite Models, by 2013 he was in trouble again and locked up … Continue reading “Korrel Kennedy”

Stuart Hall’s sentence doubled Today, paedophile and former broadcaster Stuart Hall’s sentence was doubled to 30 months by judges at the Court of Appeal. We salute those who questioned his original sentence

Brooke Astor’s 89-year old son should be jailed Anthony “Tony” Marshall, 89, is due in court in Manhattan today, Thursday 20th June, to hear whether he’ll be sent to prison. If jailed, he will be not only be one of the wealthiest prisoners but also the fourth oldest inmate in New York State’s prison … Continue reading “Marshalling a sentence”

As the BBC announce an investigation into the activities of Stuart Hall, he transfers his marital home solely into the name of his wife and his son states that his OBE should not be revoked You’d have thought that after Stuart Hall OBE’s barrister said “sorry for what he has done” last week, the … Continue reading “Putting it away”

The latest bizarre turn in the John Goodman case Rather like the twisters that often hit the coast of Florida, the story of the case of the polo mogul and multimillionaire Goodman stereo manufacturing heir John Goodman has again taken another turn. On Friday, it was revealed that a juror in the case … Continue reading “A twister of a trial”

The “Devil’s Advocate” is jailed for 14 years Bogus lawyer Giovanni di Stefano was jailed for 14 years yesterday after being found guilty of nine counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception, eight counts of fraud, three counts of acquiring criminal property, two counts of using a false instrument, one count of attempting … Continue reading “The truth’s stranger than fiction”

Jailed for 14 years in March 2013 on charges of deception, fraud and money laundering, Di Stefano is a man who is often referred to as “The Devil’s Advocate”. He has been variously linked to such luminaries as Saddam Hussein, Harold Shipman and Nicholas van Hoogstraten. Others he’s associated with include Jeremy Bamber, Kenneth Noye … Continue reading “Giovanni Di Stefano”

An opportunity to buy 110 books that previously belonged to Bernard and Ruth Madoff An ebay seller with a 99.1% rating is selling a collection of books and stationery that they claim was previously owned by the Ponzi schemer Bernard L. Madoff and his wife, Ruth. A price of $1,250 is sought including shipping. … Continue reading “Booking Bernie”

Matthew Steeples responds to the recommendations of Leveson “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” was one of Edmund Burke’s most famous observations. Today, David Cameron’s former spin doctor Andy Coulson and ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks were in court to face charges of … Continue reading “When good men should do nothing”

Matthew Steeples reports on the sentencing of Maria Michaela Today, Maria Michaela was sentenced to 9 years in jail at Harrow crown court for her role as the lynchpin in a fraud of epic proportions. Termed as “Britain’s biggest female fraudster” by the Evening Standard, Michaela is someone I came across in … Continue reading “Greed ain’t that good”

Hugo Istay discovers Jimmy Savile’s most unlikely advocates: The Daily Mail Here are some quotes from that bastion of the country’s morals, The Daily Mail. Apparently Jimmy Savile had been collecting ones like these for years to aid his defence should the proverbial hit the fan. He was going to kick off … Continue reading “The Savile defence”

In the autumn of 2012, an ITV1 series, Mrs Biggs, dramatised the life story of this headmaster’s daughter from Reigate, Surrey. In it, Sheridan Smith (pictured here with the real Mrs Biggs) portrayed a lady of steely reserve who is intelligent, articulate and courageous. The former wife of the Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has … Continue reading “Charmian Brent (better known as Charmian Biggs)”

The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds This week we must thank Dan Large for having alerted us to an amazing YouTube video showing Her Majesty The Queen’s life in 3 minutes and 24 seconds. Created by “an old retired guy who likes to play with computers” named “HerBunk” and using … Continue reading “Video of the Week: The Queen morphs”

This “High Priestess of Homemaking” was brought up in ordinary surroundings in Jersey City, New Jersey but became a self-made business magnate, author, magazine publisher and television personality. A divorced mother of one, Stewart briefly dated Sir Anthony Hopkins but couldn’t help associating him with his Silence of the Lambs character, Hannibal Lecter, and so … Continue reading “Martha Stewart”

The North Devon countryside that inspired Henry Williamson, R. D. Blackmore and Charles Kingsley Much of my childhood was spent reading the works of superb authors and amongst the best of them were Arthur Ransome (1884 – 1967), Denys Watkins-Pitchford (1905 – 1990), who wrote many of his works under the pseudonym “B.B.”, and … Continue reading “The land of Tarka and Salar”

This father of six and his gang were amongst the most notorious and sadistic criminals in South London in the 1960s. Using scrap metal and slot machine businesses as fronts, they ran fraud, protection rackets and received stolen goods. They were best known for nailing those who displeased them to floor and then made them … Continue reading “Charlie Richardson (1934 – 2012)”

The conviction of Asil Nadir Last month I visited a house I’d heard much about over the years in the company of Ed Burrows, the personable managing director of Barnsdale Lodge in Rutland. That house, located a few minutes from the hotel that Burrows so ably runs, was Burley-on-the-Hill House. Now converted into … Continue reading “The man who had it all”

This convicted rapist and burglar from St Albans won a £4.5 million National Lottery jackpot in 2009. He carried on claiming benefits until he was caught but now claims he’ll pay back what he owes. Put him in the stocks.

“The Queen of Mean” was a chain-smoking hotelier and real estate tycoon with a reputation for tyrannical behaviour. She took the view that “only the little people pay taxes” but was investigated and convicted of federal income tax evasion in 1989. Sentenced to 16 years, she served just 19 months in prison and 2 months … Continue reading “Leona Helmsley (1920 – 2007)”

A German who used many aliases but whose biggest pretence was to give the impression he was a member of the Rockefeller family. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit gives the best account of his exploits but it is for the 2009 parental kidnapping of his child, Reigh Storrow “Snooks” Mills Boss, by a Harvard … Continue reading “Christian Gerhartsreiter (main alias Clark Rockefeller)”

Has The Leveson Inquiry not gone on long enough? The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press commenced on the 28th July 2011 and has gone on and on. Lord Justice Leveson seems like a perfectly decent chap, but that every week more and more tittle-tattle is aired by a … Continue reading “Enough is enough”

Music fit for The Queen In recent days, Gary Barlow’s albumn Sing has topped the UK album charts with sales of 40,000 copies. Two hundred and ten musicians, including the African Children’s Choir and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Band, helped record this special tribute to The Queen. Produced by Barlow with … Continue reading “Singing for a Diamond”

Her Majesty has governed as constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states and heads the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. Supported by her gaffe prone husband, “Brenda,” as Private Eye nicknamed her, has served steadfast through good times and bad. She likes to drive a little quickly when given control of the wheel of a Range Rover … Continue reading “Elizabeth II, Queen of the Commonwealth realms”

This former army officer boldly led a coup d’état in Equatorial Guinea in 2004. He was imprisoned for 34 years but received a presidential pardon from President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in 2009. This Old Etonian’s account of the episode, Cry Havoc, is a great read and he now lives peacefully in Hampshire with his wife … Continue reading “Captain Simon Mann”

She told “The Mother Of All Lies” when she arranged for her degenerate boyfriend to help her kidnap her own daughter, Shannon, in 2008. She hid the poor child under a bed and basked in the media attention. Not being very bright was what resulted in her being caught and resultantly she failed to collect … Continue reading “Karen Matthews”

This billionaire businessman started out in medicine but soon moved into commerce realising that enterprise would better provide for his family. He was imprisoned on falsified charges of contract murder for 11 months in 1996. Subsequently cleared, Rybolovlev then went on to make his fortune in potassium and banking. This divorced father of two has … Continue reading “Dmitry Rybolovlev”

This Liverpudlian footballer is a bad boy on the pitch and has also done a stint in the clink for common assault and affray. He provokes extreme reactions but the hatred he is subjected to on Twitter doesn’t seem to bother him a jot. For that reason and because of his intelligent tweets, perhaps a … Continue reading “Joseph “Joey” Barton”

A club promoter who thought he was above the law. Found guilty in October 2011 of a pre-planned sexual assault, this former actor was previously accused of a similar crime in South Africa whilst his father was High Commissioner there. That time the case was dropped but this time he’s been jailed for nearly four … Continue reading “Benjamin Boateng”

This flamboyant fedora wearing tycoon made his fortune selling an estate agency empire just before the 1987 stock market crash. He’s now worth in excess of £100 million. Married twice to a former Miss Blackpool, his 13th century Lancashire home, Claughton Hall, was moved from the bottom of a hill to the top. He served … Continue reading “Owen Oyston”

She’s a British-Canadian journalist most famous for having an “extravagance that knows no bounds.” He was a media baron who denounced his Canadian citizenship to become a British peer. Life began to unravel in 2005 when he was charged and subsequently convicted on various charges of defrauding Hollinger, the company he led. “Citizen Black” got … Continue reading “Lord & Lady Black (Conrad Black & Barbara Amiel)”

The great granddaughter of the founder of Hilton Hotels is best known for her phrase: “That’s hot” and a sex tape but she’s the one having the last laugh. She’s only in her early 30s but already worth $100 million.

He swam into the path of the Oxford vessel in the 2012 Xchanging Boat Race. Oldfield claimed to be protesting about “elitism” but it transpired that he was himself educated at a private school and the LSE. His hypocrisy knows no bounds and thankfully he ended up in the clink.

Profile: The genius of self-promotion that is Paris Hilton At a dinner party last week, my guests gasped in horror when I said that I view Paris Hilton to be a genius. Their faces turned ashen and one asked if I had lost the plot. In the ensuing discussion, several described her as the … Continue reading “Prospering Paris”

Profile: Trenton Oldfield: the man who temporarily halted the 2012 Boat Race “Why are the right such angry people?” asked @NotAGateway, the shared Twitter account of Deepa Naik and her boyfriend Trenton Oldfield yesterday afternoon. In this comment, Oldfield, who had just managed to swim into the path of the Oxford boat in … Continue reading “Keep your oar out Oldfield”